Desk leg and the like



Nov. 7, 1939. E. RHODES DESK LEG AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 27, 1938Gttbmegs Patented Nov. 7, 1939 UNITED "STATES PATENT. OFFICE", I2,178,940 it l g DESK LEG AND THE LIKE Ernest Rhodes, Herkimer, N. Y.,assignor to Standard-Furniture Company, Herkimer, N. Y., a corporationof New York Application December 27, 1938, Serial-No. 247,975 4 Claims.(01. 45-137) This invention pertains to furniture made of wood, and moreparticularly to such elements as desk legs, having in view the provisionof means whereby a non-splintering, relatively hard sur- 5 face ispresented at at least one longitudinally extending corner or edge.

Desk legs produced from wood have heretofore been objectionable byreason of the fact that the corners or edges thereof when subjected to ablow or knock, say of a chair or the handle of a cleaning implement, oreven ones shoe, are apt to splinter, producing slivers which oftentimecontact and engage ones wearing apparel, particularly silk stockings,with destructive results.

Various means have heretofore been suggested for obviating such trouble,to wit: flexible buffer strips secured to the leg and exposed cornerthereof, rubber pads likewise secured to the corner of the.-legs in linewith the height of the average chair seat, and metallic elements formedfrom sheet metal and presenting rounded faces. The first two of thesedepend primarily upon the resiliency of the buffer and necessarilydeteriorate with age, while the metallic structure projects beyond thecontour lines of the leg proper and is otherwise objectionable.

The present invention produces a leg formed entirely from wood providinga non-splintering edge or corner (one or more), and at the same timeensures a pleasing contrast between the elements of which the desk legis composed.

Two embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the annexed drawing,wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of the desk leg embodying myinvention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a similar view on the line 3-3; and

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view showing a slight modification ofthe elements which enter into the laminated leg.

In the-drawing, l0 and ii denote what maybe termed the main bodyportions of the leg, and

are formed of wood having the grain thereof running lengthwise .of suchelements and consequently of the leg. These elements, as will be seenupon reference to the various Figures 1 to 3, are triangular incross-section and located between them is an element denoted by i2 whichis produced from end grain wood and is preferably interlocked with theelements 10 and H by splines or keys !3 and [4, respectively. Thesesplines are formed of wood and the various elements or parts are securedtogether by proper ad- V II hesive and pressure, forming a laminatedstructure throughout. Y

The end grain element I2 is so disposed that the grain proper extendstransversely of that of the body elements 10 and II, as is indicated by5 the shading in Fig. 1, and has its exposed edges formed to produce thedesired shape or contour of the leg. On the section 22, it will be seenthat the exposed faces of the member. 12 lie in planes common with thoseof the adjacent faces 10 of the members l0 and II; whereas, as theseelements taper off toward the lower end of the leg, the member I2 isrounded, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and it is this rounded hardsurface l3 which is designed to receive the blows above ad- 15 vertedto, and to resist the same.

The member I2 may be formed from a plurality of sections longitudinallyconsidered, and will preferably extend throughout the full length of theleg. At its lower end it is inclined or tapered 20 outwardly so as tomerge into the adjacent'fiat surfaces of the elements In and II. Thelower end of the leg is shown as reduced or cut away to receive theordinary metallic foot or socket piece commonly employed with high gradefurniture. 25

It will be appreciated that the end grain element I2 is suported uponopposite sides and there is little or no tendency for it, to break awayor splinter, as such an end grain material is hard and resists theimpact of anything which may 80 ordinarily contact the same.Furthermore, it performs the function of protecting the adjacent edgesIIor portions of the main body elements I0 and In Fig. 4, a slightmodification is shown where- 35 in instead of employing the separatesplines as H and 15 to assist in maintaining the integrity of thelaminated structure, members Ill and II, comparable to 10 and H of thestructure'above described, are formed with integral ribs I6 which fitinto grooves formed in the end grain section or element 12. Under. allforms, the end grain of the insert is exposed at the corner of the leg,or adjacent thereto, and extendsinwardly at right 5 angles to the grainof the body portion of the leg proper, or may be said to extendhorizontally with reference to the grain of the body proper, whereby arelatively hard non-splintering impact-resisting surface is produced. 50

As shown in Fig. 1, the upper portion of the member 12 is not rounded,but there is little danger of anything hitting such portion in akneespace desk. When the leg is embodied in such an article offurniture, moreover, such portion is usually coincident with the desk.

A leg produced as above described ensures pleasing contrast between themain body elements and the element I2 when the wood is provided with theproper finish.

While the invention has been described as primarily applicable to a deskleg, and more particularly to a desk leg for a knee-hole type desk,

broa dly considered the leg may be used upon center drawer of the tablesor other articles of furniture where proleast one edge of said end grainmember extend grain of the body.

ing outwardly beyondthe adjacent edges of the body members.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a desk leg formed of wood with thegrain of the body portion extending lengthwise thereof and having aninsert of end grain wood, said insert being exposed at one corner of theleg and designed to absorb any ordinary blow or impact, the grainthereof extending transversely of that of the grain of the body properand lying in a generally horizontal direction with reference thereto,whereby a relatively hard non-splintering impact-resisting surface isproduced.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a desk leg formed of wood having thegrain of the body portion thereof extending lengthwise or longitudinallyof the body, and a corner impact-resisting element embedded in said bodyportion and exposed at one corner thereof at least, said element beingof end grain wood and having its grain extending transversely of that ofthe grain of the body portion and lyingin a generally horizontaldirection with reference thereto, whereby a relatively hardnon-splintering impact-resisting surface-is produced.

ERNEST RHODES.

